BUDDHA IN THE MUD is a blog – a living book based on the Dzogchen teachings. Our teacher is life, and life is karma. We are all Buddhas in the mud of concepts.

It’s Worse Than You Think, And …
it’s better than you think!

At an ordinary level, things look very bad in the world. Stupidity upon stupidity, manipulation upon manipulation, reaction upon reaction, and more stupidity upon stupidity. Trying to keep up with this stupidity creates suffering, because our reactions maintain a befuddled self-image.

We are stupid when we underestimate the amount of stupidity in the world and go round in circles, never escaping the “ring pass-not” – an allegorical circle confining all those who still labour under the delusion of separateness.

However …
It’s better than you think!

Because we are stupid and believe everything to be real or permanent, we ignore that we are all potentially enlightened beings when we’re told this. From a stupidity point of view, this enlightened state sounds ridiculous – that’s because we are stupid 😀

But if we can consider that this enlightened state is the reality that is missing in our life, then our view and behaviour change, and every stupid thing that happens reminds us that stupidity is not our true reality. We then become free of this stupid cycle of existence.

We are not just consciousness having an experience; we are the same pure consciousness as the enlightened ones.

What made us so stupid?
Believing in stupid people
who believe that they are not stupid.
That’s how I became stupid.
😀

Realisation is the fact that we are pure consciousness
– the same innate state of the enlightened ones
who have passed through the ring of delusion.

Extremely Subtle Disinformation

Disinformation: following the form, rather than the essence.

Form: the visible shape.
Essence: the essential nature. 

We are encouraged to look at appearances, rather than what these appearances represent.
Disinformation isn’t exactly a lie, but it is selective information. It needs to be close to the truth, otherwise it would be immediately identifiable as not being the complete picture.

Everything that we hear is tainted in some way, capturing our attention in order to obtain a reaction.
When we react, we take sides, and thus division, chaos and confusion are maintained. That is the history of the world 🙂

Belief cannot be the complete picture
as it is acceptance without proof … and the road to hell!

An Embryo Of Consciousness

Embryo: a thing at a rudimentary stage that shows potential for development.

That is what is said to reincarnate at conception, and goes on reincarnating at every moment.

Our potential depends on our understanding. Some think our potential is their wealth and power. Others may think it’s entertainment or their mind, while a few realise their potential is enlightenment for all.

This embryo represents whatever consciousness is interested in; this has consequences, and will develop accordingly.

The full development of an embryo is enlightenment.
That is our potential.
Don’t settle for anything less.

Mind: A Perception And Recording Machine

We may assume that it’s the mind which thinks. The mind is the software of information-programming that constructs our brain, which is the hard drive.

It is consciousness that thinks, and relies on the mind for the information that the senses have provided. We talk about my mind. Whose mind? Consciousness’s. We don’t talk about my consciousness, do we? If we did that, what would we go back to? If we don’t know what we are, that is the source of our confusion.

Those who think that they are their mind are merely walking, talking, recording machines, programmed by other social repeaters. If we ignore what is going on in our mind, we are not in control – the information is. When we talk to a repeater, it’s not much of a conversation 🙂

Know what you are, rather then what you think you are.
Information is just programming.
This is why the Buddha said, “Don’t take my word for it; test it.”

Consciousness is only confused by what it believes. When consciousness stops believing, it then knows. Our problem is that we want to know something special, and ignore our original naturalness of pure consciousness that, in fact, doesn’t know anything. 😀

It is knowingness itself that doesn’t need to know much
to realise its enlightened essence.

It is consciousness that knows what the senses see, smell, hear, touch, taste. Ordinary, biased consciousness relies on memories to translate what it sees, and so it never sees anything anew, whereas it is the clear light of pure consciousness that sees without preconceptions.

We don’t have to feel guilty about becoming a repeater. We just need to be open to fresh, raw experiences, and then know that knowingness is taking place. That is pure consciousness.

As sentient beings, we are ordinary, confused consciousness; incomplete and partial.
As practitioners, we are pure, unadulterated consciousness; complete and absolute.

Attachment = Loss Of Clarity

When attachment arises, we do not have a clear view.
It is biased by preconceived ideas.

Attachment is the conceptual mind fixating on things.
Our minds are therefore constantly preoccupied.

As long as we have attachment,
the clear view will not arise.

When we drop attachments,
the wisdom of carefree-clarity manifests.

Transformation Of Being

We are encouraged to be over-stimulated.

Stimulate: from Latin stimulat- ‘to urge, goad’

Our minds are full of agitation, allowing no time for silent, relaxed contemplation.
To realise our potential of enlightenment, the ability to focus our mind is essential.

The fresh light of emptiness allows the mind to retrieve deep inspirations that go back a long way.

Realisation is the actualisation, fulfilment, accomplishment and attainment of our enlightened qualities,
bringing to fruition our divine essence.

As long as we are scattered, distracted or disorganised, we will never transform confusion into wisdom.

Wisdom is the appreciation
of the cause of confusion.

Acknowledgment Is Important

Acknowledgement helps with our progress.

In meditation, we acknowledge thoughts arising, but do not follow them. It’s that simple.

If we do not acknowledge these thoughts, they take over insidiously. All demons want is recognition. Give it to them, and let them go. No conflict needed.

The Recipe For Disaster

Ignoring whatever infiltrates our mind.

Why Do We See Things Differently?

Everyone’s pure perception is the same.

An apple or a familiar name is placed in front of us, and immediately, we acknowledge what or who it is – without words. This is pure consciousness.

Pure consciousness is already aware, before we colour the situation with names, ideas and bias.

Pure consciousness dims into ordinary, opinionated consciousness, and that is the reason why we see things differently.

How we interpret what is seen depends on our experience and imagination – the faculty of forming  new views not present to the senses – and seeing possible consequences.

Books can never tell you how it tastes.

We may hear about consciousness,
but do we experience it?

If milk isn’t churned,
we will never get butter.

Likewise, if the mind is not agitated,
we will never see how it works.

Machines Can’t Do That

If we explore our mind, we know how our mind works. We are no longer merely mechanical automata, just perceiving and reacting. When we decide to sit in silent meditation (machines can’t do that), we see how the mind wanders off, following random thoughts (machines can’t do that). It is our confusion that can dawn as wisdom that leads to enlightenment (machines can’t do that).

Once we realise that we have all we need, we stop shopping for more, or for a better colour. We are not spiritual consumers any longer; we are spiritual practitioners. Meditation is a method to help us see what we are, and what we are not.

What is it that we realise?
We realise that we – consciousness – are programmed by desire, aversion and ignorance. When consciousness realises the cause of its confusion – an imaginary self – wisdom dawns. These negative emotions now serve as an immediate reminder of our absolute reality of pure, compassionate consciousness.

Darkness and light become one!

We Live In A Psychological Trap

We live in a psychological trap of beliefs, accepting everything without proof. We use the word ‘believe’ as if it means ‘to know’, and that is the trap. If we believe, we don’t know.

Most of us don’t question what we believe precisely because those around us believe and, in this way, we all conform like a religion.

When we emulate others, we can become competitive, trying to be ‘holier than thou’. It’s bonkers, crazy, insane … it’s the collective trap.

We know intuitively there is more to us but unfortunately, we settle for whatever comes along for some sense of limited security.

Does the media treat us like children?
Do spiritual teachers treat us like children?
Do we want to please and get attention?
This is the trap for consciousness.

To break out of this entrapment, we have to realise what we know intuitively through meditation.
The only reality is knowingness, awareness, consciousness. That is what we are. It is our starting point – but there is more! This reality is uncontaminated by elaborations. It’s pure, and it’s outside the trap. All we have to do is recognise, and we’re out!

We realise the trap isn’t real.
We play our part within the trap,
without believing in it.

Never believe you know.
Know!

What Is The Proof Of The Buddha’s Enlightenment?

Enlightenment is the realisation of the truth of our reality, and whatever obscures this. We don’t have to delve into the past to realise our true reality, as the proof is right here, right now.

Through the stillness of meditation, we realise that awareness or consciousness is present and, if sustained, there is the recognition that there is nothing else present. That ‘nothing else’ is the cognisant emptiness of consciousness that is spoken about. It’s a little enlightenment that helps us realise distractions.

True enlightenment is the elimination of all distractions: all karma (attitude) is exhausted and all potential distractions now serve as a reminder of our original state of pure consciousness. Heaven and hell become one.

The Buddha said, “Do not take my word for the truth; test it as you would test for gold.”

So the proof of enlightenment lies with every individual to test it for themselves. No teacher can give the proof we may seek. We are what we seek! We are all Buddhas, but sleeping Buddhas.

If we think that we are anything more or less than this, we are a variation of a hell-being which needs a variation of empathy. There’s a lot of them about! 😀